5 August 2010
Exchange of views highlights differences in defining new rules for participation, development effectiveness and additionality.
An extensive exchange of letters between the IDB and civil society organizations on topics ranging from Civil Society Consulting Groups (ConSoc) to the challenges that are going to be faced by president Moreno in his second term started to take place on the beginning of July. A comprehensive chronological exposition of the events follows:
§ 06.26.2010: Civil society groups ask the IDB for more information on ConSoc
§ 07.07.2010: A list of events and meetings conducted by the IDB in several different countries was sent to civil society groups with the claim of being under the ConSoc framework. A 'ConSoc Guide' was also included in this communication. Civil society replied explaining that the ConSoc ought to be a structural spaces for debate and dialogue between the Bank and CSOs aim to effectively introduce recommendation and suggestions to different Bank’s operation in each country, but by no means a sequence of consultation meetings, where often there is no feedback process among the Bank and CSOs. It was also clarified that many of the participants of the list of meetings sent by the Bank had not been informed that they were part of a ConSoc. Therefore, it is not enough the display of meetings as an indicator of progress but more important is having a clear guidelines and mechanisms.
07.23.2010: Luis Alberto Moreno is chosen to preside the IDB for one more term. In light of this event and of the conditions outlined in the Cancun Declaration for the approval of a capital increase, CSOs send a letter to Moreno. This letter outlines the main challenges CSOs believe that the president has to face in his second term which are to ensure an evidence-based results management, institutional Governance, and a social and environmental sustainability vision for the region. The letter also poses several questions on the Bank's future regarding demands from borrowing member governments, climate change, safeguards and other issues. This letter was received by the IDB and vice president Roberto Vellutini provided a response to the letter. However, the response did not directly address some of the most difficult challenges raised in the original letter. The accomplishments of the Bank that were recognized in the CSOs letter were reiterated in Vellutini’s response but the questions on the issues the future administration has to face were still left in the open.
§ 08.04.2010: After a careful consideration of the 'ConSoc Guide' sent on July 7th and very recently published by the IDB, CSOs send another letter addressing ConSoc specifically. This letter was sent to the vice president of the Bank, Roberto Vellutini, and expressed CSOs main concerns. Among those are: the institutional relationship, the lack of an operational regulation, and again it asks for further clarification on the roles and responsibilities of participating members of the ConSocs and feedback mechanisms. After receiving this letter, the IDB sends out a communication addressing only ConSocs but referring to the letter to President Moreno. This communication states that the Bank has previously mentioned that several ConSoc groups have been initiated throughout several countries. But again, the communication does not address the issue of participants not knowing that they were under the ConSoc framework, does not provide further clarification already asked for on the regulations of the ConSoc, and does not address the main issue which is the manner through which the meetings are conducted, and not simply the fact that they have been initiated.
This exchange of communications point out to diverging opinions from the Bank and CSOs in terms of how participation should be incorporated and taken into account. These only signals, that more dialogue is needed and a more serious commitment from the Bank to open its doors to a meaningful dialogue, participation and transparency mechanisms. As of now, the IDB continues conducting meetings and CSOs are left unclear whether their suggestions are being taken into account.